'Superbug' bacteria found in tested Canadian hotel rooms

Potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” including C. difficile and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, were among the disturbing findings uncovered in a CBC Marketplace test conducted in dozens of hotel rooms across the country.

In a comprehensive survey, Marketplace did a battery of tests in 54 hotel rooms across six major hotel chains, testing for bacterial contamination and other potential health hazards.

Results revealed varying levels of dirt and contamination, but every hotel contained some form of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Microbiologist Keith Warriner, who did the tests for Marketplace, singled out findings of clostridium difficile — better known as C. difficile — and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as “alarming.”

“It was a surprise at the start, but amazing that all these hotels had superbugs,” he said. “When you get ... the antibiotic-resistant bacteria we're finding, that's not scare-mongering, that's real. These are real pathogens that can cause real illnesses.”